Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
  • G01F1/00—Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow
  • G01F1/05—Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow by using mechanical effects
  • G01F1/10—Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow by using mechanical effects using rotating vanes with axial admission
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
  • E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
  • E03C1/04—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths
  • E03C1/0404—Constructional or functional features of the spout
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G01D21/00—Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
  • G01D21/02—Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
  • G01F1/00—Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow
  • G01F1/05—Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow by using mechanical effects
  • G01F1/10—Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow by using mechanical effects using rotating vanes with axial admission
  • G01F1/103—Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow by using mechanical effects using rotating vanes with axial admission with radiation as transfer means to the indicating device, e.g. light transmission
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01K—MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G01K13/00—Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
  • G01K13/02—Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes for measuring temperature of moving fluids or granular materials capable of flow
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01P—MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT
  • G01P13/00—Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement
  • G01P13/0006—Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement of fluids or of granulous or powder-like substances
  • G01P13/004—Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement of fluids or of granulous or powder-like substances by using the rotation of vanes
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01P—MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT
  • G01P13/00—Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement
  • G01P13/008—Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement by using a window mounted in the fluid carrying tube
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
  • E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
  • E03C1/04—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths
  • E03C2001/0418—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths having temperature indicating means

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device capable of being fixed at the outlet of a tube or a flexible pipe making it possible to visualize the flow rate of a fluid, in particular water, as well as its temperature at the outlet of the tube or of the pipe.
• the present invention provides a device making it possible to assess the flow rate as well as the temperature of a fluid, for example water, at the outlet of a tube or a pipe, in order to control consumption. of this fluid and avoid domestic accidents.
• a fluid for example water
• the device able to be fixed at the outlet of a tube or a pipe delivering a fluid is characterized in that it comprises means making it possible to display the flow rate as well as means making it possible view the outlet temperature of said fluid.
• the flow display means and the temperature display means consist of the same element and include a propeller.
• the temperature display means are made from a material which reacts to temperature variations.
• the means for displaying the flow rate and the temperature of the fluid are located in the axis of outlet of the fluid and the device comprises a body, substantially cylindrical, capable of receiving the means for displaying the flow rate and for the temperature of the fluid.
• the body has a transparent viewing window or, preferably, is completely transparent.
• the device comprises means of filtration, treatment of the fluid or reagents to the pollutants included in this fluid.
• FIG. 1 is a view of the device of the invention according to a first embodiment connected to a supply tube;
• Figure 2 is a side sectional view of the device according to a second embodiment
• FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a variant of the device in FIG. 2.
• FIG. 1 represents a first embodiment of the device 1 of the invention, connected to a water supply tube 2 of conventional shape, itself connected to a mixer tap or to one or more taps as well as to a source of water (not shown).
• proximal and distal are understood with respect to the direction of flow.
• the device 1 of generally substantially cylindrical shape, comprises a substantially cylindrical ring 3 for fixing the entire device 1 at the end 2a of the tube 2, in its extension.
• This ring 3 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2.
• the device 1 also comprises a body 4, connected to the ring 3 in its extension, and composed of a proximal part 4a and a distal part 4b.
• the proximal part 4a of substantially cylindrical and slightly convex shape, is capable of receiving, in the enclosure which it delimits, a helix 5 with an axis of rotation collinear with the axis of the flow.
• the propeller 5 has any shape allowing it to be driven in rotation by the flow of the fluid through the device 1 and in particular through the body 4.
• the proximal part 4a is made of a transparent material so that the user can constantly see the propeller 5 placed inside.
• the distal part 4b of the body 4 has a substantially cylindrical shape, slightly flared in the direction of flow, and has a cavity 6 into which can be introduced various accessories such as pellets or filters including activated carbon, or any other organ capable of treating water or indicating the content of pollutants.
• FIG. 2 represents, in section, another embodiment of the device 1 which differs from that of FIG. 1 in particular by the shape of the body 4 and of the propeller 5.
• the ring 3 for fixing the device 1 to the end 2a of the supply tube 2 which has the same reference as the ring of Figure 1 because both have functional similarities.
• This ring 3 has a generally annular general shape of axis X collinear with the axis of the flow of the fluid at the outlet of the end 2a of the tube 2.
• the outer surface of the ring 3 is in two parts, separated by a shoulder 7, a proximal outer part 3a and a distal outer part 3b.
• the inner bore of the ring 3 is divided into two parts, separated by a radial return forming a crown 8, a proximal inner part 3c and a distal inner part 3d.
• the ring 3 is fixed to the end 2a of the tube 2 by any known means such as a thread on one of the proximal parts of the ring 3, either outside 3a or inside 3c, or by force fitting.
• the crown 8 comprises a central tubular part 9 with an axis collinear with the axis X.
• This central tubular part 9 defines with the distal inner part 3d an annular chamber 10.
• the length of the central tubular part 9 along the axis X is, in the embodiment of Figure 2, substantially equal to the length of the part inner distal 3d of the ring 3, but may be of different length in other embodiments.
• a multitude of holes 11, uniformly distributed in a circle on the ring 8, allow the fluid to pass through the radial return 8 to the annular chamber 10 by delivering a calibrated flow called "flow Z", capable of allowing savings of fluid.
• the distal outer part 3b of the ring 3 has an external thread onto which the body 4 of the device 1 is screwed thanks to a corresponding internal thread 4c.
• the body 4 substantially cylindrical, slightly convex and transparent over its entire length in the direction of the axis X, has two interior cavities 12 and 13 also substantially cylindrical.
• the cavity 13 can receive any type of member capable of improving the quality of the water such as a filter cartridge or reagents to the various conventional pollutants of the water.
• a propeller 5, of axis collinear with the axis X, is mounted for rotation inside the cavity 12 between two bearings, an upper bearing, constituted by the central tubular part 9 of the ring 8, and a lower bearing 14 resting on a shoulder 15 separating the cavities 12, 13.
• the lower bearing 14 includes an annular part 14a, bearing on the shoulder 15, connected to a tubular central part 14b, of axis collinear with the axis X.
• the central tubular part 14b of the lower bearing 14 receives the distal end 5b of the axis of the propeller 5 while the proximal end 5a is inserted into the central tubular part 9 of the crown 8.
• annular seals (not shown) are provided at the connections between the ring 3 and the end 2a of the tube 2 as well as between the ring 3 and the body 4.
• a first seal can ideally be placed at the end of the proximal inner part 3c of the ring 3, against the crown 8, and a second on the distal outer part 3b, against the shoulder 7.
• FIG. 3 shows, in an exploded perspective, the device 1 of FIG. 2.
• the proximal external part 3a of the ring 3 is grooved in order to ensure a good grip when fixing on the end 2a of the tube 2 and a grid 16 is disposed against the crown 8, centered on the tubular part 9.
• the transparent body 4 is fixed to the ring 3 by means of an internal thread 4c.
• the propeller 5 is mounted for rotation between the tubular part 9 of the crown 8 and the lower bearing 14 disposed in abutment on the shoulder 15 of the body 4 (FIG. 2).
• the propeller 5 has a particular shape of blade allowing it to enter into rotation when the fluid (water for example) flows through the device 1.
• the speed of rotation of the propeller therefore varies according to the importance of the water flow.
• the user has at all times reliable information on his consumption, directly linked to the flow of water and therefore to the speed of rotation of the propeller 5.
• the device comprises means for displaying the temperature of the water.
• thermochromism This modification of the color according to the temperature (called thermochromism) is effected by known methods such as the application of micro capsules of dyes of size and dispersion defined on the propeller 5.
• the user can assess the water outlet temperature, thanks to the tint of the said propeller 5.
• the user thus avoids the risk of burns since he does not need to touch the water jet to get an idea of its temperature.
• the body 4 can receive in its cavity 13 ( Figure 2) reagents to different pollutants, the color of which varies depending on the content of water in these pollutants.
• the device 1 can be adapted to any existing tube 2 or conventional tube.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Indicating Or Recording The Presence, Absence, Or Direction Of Movement (AREA)
• Measuring Volume Flow (AREA)
• Investigating Materials By The Use Of Optical Means Adapted For Particular Applications (AREA)
• Details Of Flowmeters (AREA)
• Flow Control (AREA)
• Water Treatment By Sorption (AREA)
• Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9550191

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (14)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1999
  • 1999-09-23 FR FR9911922A patent/FR2799834B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2000
  • 2000-08-14 DE DE60035767T patent/DE60035767T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-08-14 AU AU70132/00A patent/AU7013200A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-08-14 WO PCT/FR2000/002321 patent/WO2001022096A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2000-08-14 EP EP00958687A patent/EP1131640B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-08-14 AT AT00958687T patent/ATE368862T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-08-14 ES ES00958687T patent/ES2292466T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-08-14 US US09/831,890 patent/US6494107B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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